Multiple Group One winner Hey Doc has won a jump-out at Werribee as he continues ticking over towards his next race assignment.
Hey Doc returned from a lengthy injury absence and made a late spring cameo in Melbourne when third in the Group Three Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Sandown.
He then travelled to Perth where he scored a dominant win in the Group One Winterbottom Stakes on November 30.
Tony McEvoy sent Hey Doc from his Flemington base to Werribee for a jump-out on Tuesday morning and while the co-trainer said the gelding was only there for a day out and some stimulation, he was pleased with the result.
Hey Doc cruised along in front in his 1100m heat before winning by just over a length.
“He just went for a day out, a float ride and just a cruise around,” McEvoy said.
“I was very happy. He had a great morning.
“He just went around to have a bit of fun but Luke (Currie) was really pleased with him.”
The Winterbottom was Hey Doc’s third win at Group One level, after the Australian Guineas and Manikato Stakes in 2017.
McEvoy, who trains in partnership with his son Calvin, has kept the sprinter ticking over since his return from Perth.
“I’m just letting him idle along,” he said.
“There’s no race for him until the Australia Stakes on the 24th of January so we’ve got another three-and-a-half weeks to go.
“So he just went out there so he doesn’t get bored, basically.”
After the Group Two Australia Stakes (1200m) at The Valley, Hey Doc is likely to go to Sydney for the Group One Canterbury Stakes (1300m) in Sydney before a possible trip to Dubai for the Al Quoz Sprint.